The recolonization of Eurasian lynx from central to southern Sweden: A success story

Heather Hemmingmoore

doi:10.54612/a.51f6vbqi0f

The recolonization of Eurasian lynx from central to southern Sweden: A success story

Bidragets översatta titel: Återkoloniseringen av lodjur från centrala till södra Sverige : En framgångssaga

Heather Hemmingmoore

Institutionen för ekologi

Publikation: Avhandling › Doktorsavhandling

7 Nedladdningar

Sammanfattning

Återkoloniseringen av stora rovdjur till deras historiska utbredningsområde präglas av ekologiska och antropogena utmaningar. Denna avhandling studerade den naturliga återkolonisationen av det eurasiska lodjuret (Lynx lynx) av södra Sverige, den sista regionen att återkoloniseras efter att nästan ha utrotats från Sverige under början av 1900-talet. Först definierar jag tre kriterier för en framgångsrik återkolonisering: det måste finnas 1) tillgänglighet av lämpliga livsmiljöer, 2) tillräcklig många parningspartners för populationstillväxt och 3) tillräcklig genetisk mångfald för att förhindra inavel. Grundläggande för dessa krav är behovet av kontakt mellan kärnpopulationen och området för återkolonisation för att säkerställa att individerna kan nå lämpliga livsmiljöer. För att svara på frågan om återkolonisationen var framgångsrik använde jag först studier av habitatval för att identifiera lämpliga livsmiljöer (Artikel I), och populationsmodeller för att beräkna tillväxttakten under etableringsfasen (Artikel II). Jag använde sedan populationsgenomik för att studera genetisk struktur under återkolonisering (Artikel III) och individuell släktskap för att bättre förstå den genetiska kontakten mellan kärnområdet och området för återkolonisering (Artikel IV). Habitatvalsstudien visade att det fanns omfattande lämpliga livsmiljöer i södra Sverige, vilket bekräftades med inventeringsdata under återkolonisering. Den visade också att individer under spridning var mindre selektiva än etablerade lodjur (Artikel I). Populationsmodellerna visade att populationen i södra Sverige tillväxte långsammare än den i centrala Sverige under tidigare återkolonisering, och att en Allee-effekt var osannolik, vilket indikerar tillräcklig kontakt även vid låga populationstätheter (Artikel II). Den genetiska analysen visade ingen rumslig eller tidsmässig populationsstruktur, vilket återigen indikerar god kontakt mellan populationerna (Artikel III). Mönster av individuell släktskap visade ingen isolering med geografiskt avstånd (Artikel IV). Lodjurspopulationen kunde etablera sig i södra Sverige trots viss laglig jakt och tjuvjakt. Dessa resultat visar att stora rovdjurspopulationer kan expandera i frånvaro av skyddade områden. Jag hoppas att denna fallstudie är användbar för förvaltare och i naturvårdsarbete för att underlätta återhämtningen av andra djurpopulationer i människodominerade landskap.

Bidragets översatta titel	Återkoloniseringen av lodjur från centrala till södra Sverige : En framgångssaga
Originalspråk	Engelska
Kvalifikation	Doktor i filosofi
Förlag	Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Tryckta ISBN	978-91-8046-222-8
Elektroniska ISBN	978-91-8046-223-5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.54612/a.51f6vbqi0f
Status	Publicerad - 2023

Nyckelord

connectivity
isolation by distance
isolation by resistance
logistic regression
population genomics
range expansion
spatial principal component analysis

SLU-serie

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae

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10.54612/a.51f6vbqi0f

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title = "The recolonization of Eurasian lynx from central to southern Sweden: A success story",

abstract = "The recolonization of large carnivores into their historic range is characterized by ecological and anthropogenic challenges. This thesis explores the natural range expansion of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) into southern Sweden, the last region to be recolonized following near extirpation from Sweden in the 20th century. I first define three criteria for a recolonization to be successful: there must be 1) availability of quality habitat, 2) sufficient mate availability to facilitate growth, and 3) sufficient genetic diversity to prevent inbreeding. Underpinning these requirements is the need for connectivity to ensure animals can reach suitable habitat and remain connected to the source population. To answer the question as to whether this recolonization event was successful, I first used resource selection functions to identify suitable habitat (Paper I), then used Bayesian population growth models to assess whether inverse density dependence affected population growth during population establishment (Paper II). I then used population genomics to check for genetic structure resulting from recolonization (Paper III), and examined the network of individual relatedness to better understand connectivity during recolonization (Paper IV). The resource selection study predicted extensive suitable habitat in southern Sweden, which was validated with establishment data during recolonization. It also revealed that dispersing individuals were less selective than established lynx (Paper I). Our Bayesian population growth models found that the population in southern Sweden grew more slowly than that of centralSweden during prior recolonization, although an Allee effect was unlikely, indicating sufficient connectivity even at low population densities (Paper II). The genomic analysis showed no spatial or temporal population structure, again indicating connectivity (Paper III). Individual relatedness patterns found no isolation by distance or resistance (Paper IV). The lynx population was able to establish in southern Sweden despite legal quota hunting and poaching. These findings demonstrate that wideranging carnivore populations can expand in the absence of protected areas and despite hunting pressure. It is my hope that this case study proves useful to managers and conservation planners who seek to facilitate the recovery of other animal populations in human-dominated landscapes.",

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author = "Heather Hemmingmoore",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.54612/a.51f6vbqi0f",

language = "English",

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AB - The recolonization of large carnivores into their historic range is characterized by ecological and anthropogenic challenges. This thesis explores the natural range expansion of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) into southern Sweden, the last region to be recolonized following near extirpation from Sweden in the 20th century. I first define three criteria for a recolonization to be successful: there must be 1) availability of quality habitat, 2) sufficient mate availability to facilitate growth, and 3) sufficient genetic diversity to prevent inbreeding. Underpinning these requirements is the need for connectivity to ensure animals can reach suitable habitat and remain connected to the source population. To answer the question as to whether this recolonization event was successful, I first used resource selection functions to identify suitable habitat (Paper I), then used Bayesian population growth models to assess whether inverse density dependence affected population growth during population establishment (Paper II). I then used population genomics to check for genetic structure resulting from recolonization (Paper III), and examined the network of individual relatedness to better understand connectivity during recolonization (Paper IV). The resource selection study predicted extensive suitable habitat in southern Sweden, which was validated with establishment data during recolonization. It also revealed that dispersing individuals were less selective than established lynx (Paper I). Our Bayesian population growth models found that the population in southern Sweden grew more slowly than that of centralSweden during prior recolonization, although an Allee effect was unlikely, indicating sufficient connectivity even at low population densities (Paper II). The genomic analysis showed no spatial or temporal population structure, again indicating connectivity (Paper III). Individual relatedness patterns found no isolation by distance or resistance (Paper IV). The lynx population was able to establish in southern Sweden despite legal quota hunting and poaching. These findings demonstrate that wideranging carnivore populations can expand in the absence of protected areas and despite hunting pressure. It is my hope that this case study proves useful to managers and conservation planners who seek to facilitate the recovery of other animal populations in human-dominated landscapes.

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